Biocompatible Alginate Film Crosslinked with Ca²⁺ and Zn²⁺ Possesses Antibacterial, Antiviral, and Anticancer Activities

Abstract

Alginate is a highly promising biopolymer due to its non-toxic and biodegradable properties. Alginate hydrogels are often fabricated by cross-linking sodium alginate with calcium cations and can be engineered with highly desirable enhanced physical and biological properties for biomedical applications. This study reports on the anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, in vitro, and in vivo toxicity, water absorption, and compound release properties of an alginate hydrogel crosslinked with calcium and different amounts of zinc cations. The results showed that the calcium alginate hydrogel film crosslinked with the highest amount of zinc showed similar water sorption properties to those of calcium alginate and released a suitable amount of zinc to provide anticancer activity against melanoma and colon cancer cells and has antibacterial properties against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis and antiviral activity against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. This film is non-toxic in both in vitro in keratinocyte HaCaT cells and in vivo in the Caenorhabditis elegans model, which renders it especially promising for biomedical applications.

Biocompatible Alginate Hydrogel Film Containing Acetic Acid Manifests Broad-Spectrum Antiviral and Anticancer Activities

“…Similar calcium alginate films without acetic acid (control film) have been deeply characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, water sorption, and degradation studies [ 2 , 32 ].…”

“…The in vivo toxicity (acute and chronic) in terms of survival rate, reproduction, and body length was tested using the Caenorhabditis elegans model according to a protocol previously described in detail by our group [ 32 ]. The Caenorhabditis elegans model was used to study in vivo toxicity.…”

“…RNA was extracted following the RNA extraction protocol provided by the Norgen Biotek Corp. (Thorold, ON, Canada) [ 37 ]. These RNA extraction and quantification tests were performed according to a protocol previously described in detail by our research group [ 32 ].…”

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory Effects and Ability to Stimulate Wound Healing of a Common-Plantain Extract in Alginate Gel Formulations

“…The results showed the ability alginate to sustain the viability of cells in culture, as well as to stimulate the formation of extracellular matrix proteins necessary for wound healing and for obtaining 3D cultures in vitro. Alginate formulations were previously investigated as potential bioinks [37,38] for the design of different scaffolds necessary for the 3D printing of bones [39], nerve tissues [40] and organoids [41], as well as for their antitumoral, antibacterial and antiviral properties [42].…”

Activity in the Field of Blood Coagulation Processes of Poly(Lactide)-Zinc Fiber Composite Material Obtained by Magnetron Sputtering

“…The current study is a continuation of our research program aimed at developing antibacterial polymer-metal composites [49][50][51][52][53][54] and is focused on the PLA-Zn composites made from a matrix with hemostatic properties [35][36][37][38][39][40] (but without an inherent antibacterial effect [55]) and with an antipathogenic (antibacterial [56][57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]; antiviral [66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73][74][75][76][77]; and antifungal [78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87]), hemostatic [88][89][90]…”